Upset-Minded Vikings Host No. 9 Minnesota State

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – After dropping its first dual match of the season at Northern State on Jan. 3, the Augustana wrestling team rattled off four straight wins, including three in Northern Sun action. Now the Vikings look to keep that train moving on Friday, when they host No. 9 Minnesota State in the Elmen Center at 7 p.m.

Friday also marks Parents Night for the Augustana wrestling team. The match will be followed by a social at Urban Chislic in Sioux Falls following the dual.

Following the setback at Northern, Augustana rolled to a 54-0 non-conference win over Dakota Wesleyan, hung on for a 27-12 win over MSU Moorhead and a 28-9 win at Southwest Minnesota State before hanging on for a 16-15 home win over No. 19 Upper Iowa in its last outing on Sunday.

Now with a 4-1 overall record and a 3-1 mark in the NSIC, the test gets tougher on Friday against the Mavericks, who take on U-Mary on Thursday and enter the week with 6-1 overall record to go with a perfect 4-0 mark in conference action.

All of Minnesota State’s wins came at home, and the Mavs won three convincingly over Minot State, No. 25 Northern State and Southwest Minnesota State, but needed an extra-point win in the final match to defeat No. 19 Upper Iowa, 18-17 on Jan. 17.

The Vikings match against the Peacocks also came down to the final match, but with a 16-12 lead going into that final match, Augie avoided the extra-point defeat to hang on for a 16-15 lead, leaving only the Tyler Wagener major decision win at 149 lbs., as the lone extra-point win of the dual, which made the difference Vikings win.

Augustana won seven of the last 10 meetings, including a 17-13 win last season in Mankato, Minn., but the Mavericks lead the all-time series, which dates back to the 1969-70 season, 25-19.

Following Friday’s action, the Vikings travel to North Dakota next weekend for their final road trip of the season, which starts at U-Mary next Saturday and ends on Sunday at Minot State before returning home to host defending national champion St. Cloud State in the regular season finale on Thursday, Feb. 14.